For most of us who have grown up beneath the Mackinaw bridge, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has always seemed like a different state as if crossing the bridge has the same mystical effect of the Bridge to Terabithia.

If only, right? Well, good news. It's not too far off, actually. The abundance of rare beauty that is spread from Sault St. Marie to Copper Harbor exemplifies the U.P.'s uniqueness. And over the past four years, this troll has become a full-blown yooper.

When I first heard of Michigan Technological University and that it was located in Houghton, Michigan, my mind thought of Houghton Lake. I could not have been more wrong.

Five roads and eight hours later, I found myself, a senior in high school, lost in a frozen tundra, expecting a penguin to waddle across my path. Is this really where I want to go to school? With it being my only D2 football offer coming out of high school, it was time to seize my opportunity.

From Vans to Red Wing boots, it was time to pivot the wardrobe to be better suited for the seemingly Arctic Circle. Don't get me wrong, I grew up in Mid-Michigan. It does get cold, it does snow, but up here is another world altogether.

I've accepted Stormy Kromer's and mittens to be an essential part of the yooper outfit the moment October ends. It sounds like I am bashing on the U.P. but what comes with this wicked weather outside of being U.P. gritty, as my friend from Marquette would say, are experiences unlike any other in the state.

Whether it is snowshoeing along the edge of Lake Superior at Devil's Washtub, hopping from one floating sheet of ice to the next, or wandering through the Eben Ice Caves near the Pictured Rocks in Munising, there is never a problem finding something to do.

Every day some students drive their sleds to class. Inbetween classes, students will hit up Mt. Ripley, shred some gnar and stress in the process. Shoveling the driveway turns into an hour or two long workouts. Waiting for a mother bear and her cubs to cross the road happens almost too often. All of this is the norm, and I love it.

Obviously, the weather isn't always below freezing with a couple hundred inches of snow to compliment temperature. Come May, the unthawing process finishes up, and summer unfolds. That is when my love for the skies I'm under multiplies.

Since being in college, I have been home for a total of three months throughout the summer. This is my new home. Maybe it is the weather, scenery, adventures, cheap beer or all the above.

Any which way, it is topped off with the most genuine and generous population in the nation. Clearly, these yoopers have taken a note from the overly nice Canadian's playbook, and I'm all for it.

Had I gone to a school below the bridge, I would have found myself in a rural cement-ridden town and I may have had crossed the Mackinaw once or twice more in my life, greatly diminishing my appreciation for the outdoors and the beautiful playground that is the 906.

Instead, I have explored the nooks and crannies of this great state with my favorite people, expanding my adventurous horizon to new heights. And being this far from home has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone, and mature in a way where I don't get to bring home my laundry for my Mom to do every other weekend.

This U.P. journey of mine has led to me meeting some of the greatest, most down-to-earth people, some being from Wisconsin, which, essentially, is an extension of the U.P. Hindsight is 20/20, and it is crystal clear that this was the best decision I could have made.

Here are a few pictures I've taken over the years.

Devil's Washtub:

Brockway Mountain:

Bare Bluff:

Canyon Falls:

Places to visit: Pictured above, Pictured Rocks, Sugarloaf, Blackrocks, Porcupine Mountains, Tahquamenon Falls, Houghton-Douglas Falls, Isle Royale, Kitch-iti-kipi, and so many more.